bassman999
Well-Known Member
So its bad to use in fertilizer even if I dont breathe the dust as I add it to soil?
NaturalFarmer
Well-Known Member
I use food grade in my soil as well as for my chickens. I think you will be fine, it is more of a long term issue.....Not suggesting dumping your grow just to be aware and adjust in the future.
bassman999
Well-Known Member
I found MSDS, can you tel what kind it is?
http://darlington.sc.safeschoolssds.com/document/repo/3022babe-5fae-4dde-a3ef-09d6eda092f7
NaturalFarmer
Well-Known Member
Not really but since it isn't labeled as food grade should be considered to contain heavy metals (cadmium is the biggest concern).
It may very well be amorphous because of the chunky size but regardless it still could be (and mosy likely is) mined from a mine that is known to NOT be food grade.
DE can take other heavy metals out of the body, so it may not necessarily be given off to the plant at all in the soil even if it is present but why take the risk? Fertrell is the way to go, you can even slap some in the mouth if your hungry. (2% in chicken feed 10% in sand bath for mites).
It may very well be amorphous because of the chunky size but regardless it still could be (and mosy likely is) mined from a mine that is known to NOT be food grade.
DE can take other heavy metals out of the body, so it may not necessarily be given off to the plant at all in the soil even if it is present but why take the risk? Fertrell is the way to go, you can even slap some in the mouth if your hungry. (2% in chicken feed 10% in sand bath for mites).
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Rasta Roy
Well-Known Member
Ahhh see I thought I heard this somewhere before but was unsure if I was thinking of something else. I definitely would avoid that...You might not notice the negative effects of using something that harmful off hand...But you are introducing toxins into your blood that will effect you over time...And causing environmental damage to your communities water table when you use products that contain heavy metals.
Rasta Roy
Well-Known Member
@bassman999
@NaturalFarmer has the right of it. I wouldn't trash your grow. But I would adjust and do something different for the future.
@NaturalFarmer has the right of it. I wouldn't trash your grow. But I would adjust and do something different for the future.
NaturalFarmer
Well-Known Member
Not sure if you can buy rice hull direct from Riceland, but this is the brand I use. If you don't care about organics and live in the right part of the country, you can probably find it cheaper than wood shavings. I have heard of 50lbs below $10.
http://www.riceland.com/pages/rice-hull-products/
http://www.riceland.com/pages/rice-hull-products/
bassman999
Well-Known Member
I see Ill quit using it in the future.
The question is should I throw away my soil after this grow?
All of my soil contains this, over 60 gallons worth.
I would have to spend a lot to make all my soil again, but if its unsafe I will.
The problem is that as long as I use it it wont be exposed to the environment, but to dispose of it then it will. I only grow indoors now.
Rasta Roy
Well-Known Member
Even the water we use indoors gets added to water table friend! Unless you're upcyling any and all runoff water. Heavy metals probably do hang out in the soil forever... It's not like they're chemical fertilizers that you can rinse out of the soil or disease causing pathogens the you can compost out. But I do understand your dilemma. Maybe stick with it until youre in the position to buy more? Using bales of peat moss, perlite or sand and compost from a landscape supplier or nursery store to build soil can be relatively affordable. I could put together 60 gallons of soil for under 100 bucks.
Chunky Stool
Well-Known Member
Calcined clay holds a little water, provides aeration, and doesn't float. Plants love the stuff!
$4 for 25 lbs @ wal-mart
Rinse before mixing. (the dust raises ph)
I just use a phillips screwdriver to poke a bunch of holes in the bottom of the bag, then stick a hose in it.
$4 for 25 lbs @ wal-mart
Rinse before mixing. (the dust raises ph)
I just use a phillips screwdriver to poke a bunch of holes in the bottom of the bag, then stick a hose in it.
bassman999
Well-Known Member
My water might evaporate, but never leaves my tent. I use sealed containers or cloth pots with saucers.
$100 is doable, but not easily by me lol.
My income is $758 a month
bassman999
Well-Known Member
Its so funny growing my veggies outdoors the clay is my enemy, cant even dig through it.
bassman999
Well-Known Member
What would be a good recipe for indoor grow?
I am sure I am using way more things than needed to try to cover all bases
NaturalFarmer
Well-Known Member
If you have space, you could grow a crop like sunflower over top for a few years, as I think it takes up heavy metals. I didn't mean to scare you that much. It mostly in medicine form that you need to be aware. I don't know if you are like me, but I smoke a lot
.
Rasta Roy
Well-Known Member
Peat moss
Perlite or sand
Compost
Worm castings
Lime or oyster shell flour
Kelp meal
Langbeinite
Bone meal or fish bone meal or crab meal
Neem seed meal
NaturalFarmer
Well-Known Member
This mix will give you a fluffy well drained mix with 6.3 pH (depending on your peat) and 75-80% Ca saturation. CEC of 27-30
17 gallons coco coir (1 5kg brick)
5 gallons earth worm castings or compost
5 gallons sphagnum peat moss
5 gallons rice hulls
3 cups gypsum
2 cups crab meal
1 cup kelp meal
3 cup soybean meal
3 cups bone char (NOT MEAL)
2 cups dolomitic lime
1 cup food grade Diatomaceous Earth
17 gallons coco coir (1 5kg brick)
5 gallons earth worm castings or compost
5 gallons sphagnum peat moss
5 gallons rice hulls
3 cups gypsum
2 cups crab meal
1 cup kelp meal
3 cup soybean meal
3 cups bone char (NOT MEAL)
2 cups dolomitic lime
1 cup food grade Diatomaceous Earth
Chunky Stool
Well-Known Member
TIP
Buying in the off-season saves me a LOT of money on organic nutes. Wal-mart has the deepest discounts, and timing is everything. They do it in two stages:
1) Products are marked down but stay on the same shelf. These discounts are good and the more popular products usually sell out.
2) Leftovers from the first sale are moved to a designated clearance spot and DEEPLY discounted. This is where you can really score.
EcoScraps $1.50
Epsoma Tomato-tone $5
Home Depot clearance --> Dr. Earth $4 (I'm going to try this on my lawn.)
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bassman999
Well-Known Member
This in a 2x5x5ft tent so sunflowers wont work lolIf you have space, you could grow a crop like sunflower over top for a few years, as I think it takes up heavy metals. I didn't mean to scare you that much. It mostly in medicine form that you need to be aware. I don't know if you are like me, but I smoke a lot
Thanks for the recipes!
I see neither uses guano, is that a no-no?
I use lots of that in my soil.
Ill have my girl look when she goes. I dont get out much anymore.
Although I just found our lost cat in the shed with a broken leg so I am off to the vet. He was missing 24 hrs so he must be starving and he smells of piss. Glad I found him and that he didnt freeze last night
Chunky Stool
Well-Known Member
Are you making large or small batches? Do you have space to store a lot of individual ingredients in bulk?
Do you want something close to a water-only super soil, or something milder that requires liquid nutes?
Chunky Stool
Well-Known Member
Ouch! Bad timing for a vet bill. Good luck!